电铃 (diàn líng) — electric bell, buzzer

Definition

noun
electric bellbuzzer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 电铃，。
    Yǒu rén àn le diàn líng, wǒ qù kāi mén.
    Someone pressed the doorbell; I'll go open the door.
  • 电铃，。
    Xué xiào de diàn líng xiǎng le, xué shēng men dōu zǒu jìn le jiào shì.
    The school bell rang, and all the students entered the classroom.
  • 电铃，。
    Zhè ge diàn líng de shēng yīn tài dà le, yǒu diǎn chǎo.
    The sound of this buzzer is too loud, a bit noisy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

电diànelectricity
铃língbell

电 supplies the power, and 铃 rings; the pair names an electric bell.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鈴; 铃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng鈴líng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鈴 pairs 金 (metal) with 令 as a sound part; the simplified 铃 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 铃 →

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